Ford's Ranger armada! - Focus on Transport and Logistics

Ford’s Ranger armada!

November 17, 2023

Ford delivered an entire armada of bakkies to Greece for the group test. From the new Tremor to the spectacular Raptor, they were all there. VASSILIS DARAMOUSKAS and CHARLEEN CLARKE took them for a spin.

Just observing the Ranger fleet in the hotel parking lot confirmed one thing: Ford takes this segment of the market very seriously indeed! We were particularly excited about two new models: the Tremor and Wildtrak X, which are both only available with the 2.0-litre bi-turbo EcoBlue diesel engine.

First of all, the Tremor. Based on the Ranger XLT, it features as standard a re-engineered chassis and suspension with wider track, increased ground clearance, and Bilstein high-performance position sensitive dampers. An uprated heavy-duty power steering system and new off-road technologies – namely Rock Crawl mode, Trail Turn Assist, and Trail Control – deliver more confidence off-road.

The Rock Crawl system adjusts throttle response, traction control, and the gear change program to optimise vehicle control when navigating the vehicle at low speeds over rocky and rough terrain. Trail Turn Assist uses the brakes to reduce the turning radius by up to 25% in tight spaces, while Trail Control works like cruise control. With this, on difficult terrain, the driver can simply select a drive speed below 32km/h, with the vehicle automatically managing acceleration and braking to keep it constant, so they can concentrate on the vehicle’s steering manoeuvres.

The Wildtrak X, on the other hand, is the stepping stone between the standard Ranger and the Raptor. It features the same off-road enhancements and electronics as the Tremor, so it’s taller, wider, and more off-road focused than the standard Ranger Wildtrak.

When it comes to fuel consumption, these two-litre bakkies consume around 1.1 litres less fuel per 100km than the six-cylinder Ranger, where it’s uncommon to see figures below 10 litres. The same is obviously true of the Amarok.

All in all, Ford has done something very clever with the Tremor and Wildtrak X: if you want substantially increased off-road capabilities and to take on the mountains at every opportunity without sacrificing on-road comfort, and if the beastly Raptor is out of budget or of no interest (for some unimaginable reason), you have no other logical choice.

Raptor: in a class of its own

Having driven the Raptor on various occasions and on all kinds of terrain, it’s impressive that there are still features that surprise the driver.

Driving it in the mountains above Anavyssos, what we didn’t expect was the Raptor’s ability to iron out rough offroad tracks at speeds unimaginable for any other bakkie. It’s not deterred by anything; the only limitation is the driver’s skill.

The average standard fuel consumption is 13.8 litres/100km and yes, it easily climbs to (considerably) higher readings, and CO₂emissions are 315g/km. We reckon that neither this, nor the mere 652kg of payload, will faze prospective customers.

There is no other pick-up that even comes close to the Raptor’s capabilities: we love the almost 27-cm minimum ground clearance, the ability to lock the front differential, the 32-degree approach angle… and the fun we have when we’re behind the wheel.

While the Raptor is part of the Ranger line-up in South Africa, the jury took the decision to separate this vehicle as a finalist in its own right. There were a number of reasons for this decision – including the fact that it’s built in a different factory, and is a performance bakkie rather than one designed to do a day’s work. As one of the jury members commented: “Asking the Raptor to do a day’s work is like asking King Charles to mow your lawn… inappropriate.”